Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy now comes in here and lectures me. As Taoiseach, I will not accept that.

The third point I would make to the Deputy is that in the same way as our decision not to ratify the treaty last Thursday week was an exercise in national sovereignty, other countries also have a right to exercise national sovereignty as they see it and make their position clear on the ratification process of the Lisbon treaty. They gave the collective commitment at the time of the signing and agreeing of the treaty that all countries would proceed with the ratification process not later than the end of this year.

In the same way as the Deputy expects and is entitled to respect for our national decisions, as would I as an Irishman, he must respect other people's national decisions. The basic position has not changed. Unless all member states ratify the treaty, it cannot come into effect. Therefore, the question of this country's decision not being respected does not arise. It is freely accepted and respected.

What we must recognise is that in the same way that it has implications for our position, it also has implications for other people's positions. I said at the Council meeting that we would need time to reflect on and analyse the various reasons, some of them contradictory, we find ourselves in this situation and that I would come back and report to them at the next Council meeting in October based on that reflection, analysis and work. I said that in the meantime, I would work with colleagues to see in what way we can progress matters one way or another. That is the position.

The only coercion I have ever heard to rapturous applause is the one to which the Deputy subscribed some years ago.

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